1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to selective, non-peptide antagonists of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) and methods of their use.
2. Background of the Invention
Opioid dependence is one of the most serious chronic and relapsing medical disorders. Heroin and prescription opioid abuse and dependence are very common and still increasing. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse 2001, there are about 800,000 persons addicted to heroin and 3.5 million prescription opioid abusers in the United States. It has been proved that for many clinically available opiates, not only their analgesic function but also their notorious side effects (such as addiction and abuse liability) are primarily due to their interaction with the mu opioid receptor (MOR). There is an ongoing need to develop selective antagonists for MOR as chemical probes to characterize the mu opioid receptor structure-function relationship, and to develop analgesics without or with less addiction and abuse liability.